Objective To investigate the clinical characteristics and prognosis of pneumococcal meningitis(PM),and drug sensitivity of Streptococcus pneumoniae(SP)isolates in Chinese children.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on clinical information,laboratory data,and microbiological data of 160 hospitalized children under 15 years old with PM from January 2019 to December 2020 in 33 tertiary hospitals across the country.Results Among the 160 children with PM,there were 103 males and 57 females.The age ranged from 15 days to 15 years,with 109 cases(68.1% )aged 3 months to under 3 years.SP strains were isolated from 95 cases(59.4% )in cerebrospinal fluid cultures and from 57 cases(35.6% )in blood cultures.The positive rates of SP detection by cerebrospinal fluid metagenomic next-generation sequencing and cerebrospinal fluid SP antigen testing were 40% (35/87)and 27% (21/78),respectively.Fifty-five cases(34.4% )had one or more risk factors for purulent meningitis,113 cases(70.6% )had one or more extra-cranial infectious foci,and 18 cases(11.3% )had underlying diseases.The most common clinical symptoms were fever(147 cases,91.9% ),followed by lethargy(98 cases,61.3% )and vomiting(61 cases,38.1% ).Sixty-nine cases(43.1% )experienced intracranial complications during hospitalization,with subdural effusion and/or empyema being the most common complication[43 cases(26.9% )],followed by hydrocephalus in 24 cases(15.0% ),brain abscess in 23 cases(14.4% ),and cerebral hemorrhage in 8 cases(5.0% ).Subdural effusion and/or empyema and hydrocephalus mainly occurred in children under 1 year old,with rates of 91% (39/43)and 83% (20/24),respectively.SP strains exhibited complete sensitivity to vancomycin(100% ,75/75),linezolid(100% ,56/56),and meropenem(100% ,6/6).High sensitivity rates were also observed for levofloxacin(81% ,22/27),moxifloxacin(82% ,14/17),rifampicin(96% ,25/26),and chloramphenicol(91% ,21/23).However,low sensitivity rates were found for penicillin(16% ,11/68)and clindamycin(6% ,1/17),and SP strains were completely resistant to erythromycin(100% ,31/31).The rates of discharge with cure and improvement were 22.5% (36/160)and 66.2% (106/160),respectively,while 18 cases(11.3% )had adverse outcomes.Conclusions Pediatric PM is more common in children aged 3 months to under 3 years.Intracranial complications are more frequently observed in children under 1 year old.Fever is the most common clinical manifestation of PM,and subdural effusion/emphysema and hydrocephalus are the most frequent complications.Non-culture detection methods for cerebrospinal fluid can improve pathogen detection rates.Adverse outcomes can be noted in more than 10% of PM cases.SP strains are high sensitivity to vancomycin,linezolid,meropenem,levofloxacin,moxifloxacin,rifampicin,and chloramphenicol.[Chinese Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics,2024,26(2):131-138]

Objective:To explore the relationship between hemoglobin variability (Hb-var) and risk of all-cause death and cardiovascular death in patients with peritoneal dialysis (PD), and to provide basis for reducing the risk of death in PD patients.Methods:It was a multicenter retrospective cohort study. The clinical data of regular PD patients from Nanfang Hospital of Southern Medical University, Shunde Hospital of Southern Medical University, Foshan First People's Hospital and Ganzhou People's Hospital from July 1, 2008 to December 31, 2019 were collected. Hb-var was calculated based on hemoglobin at baseline before PD and in the first year after PD. The patients were divided into low Hb-var group, moderate Hb-var group and high Hb-var group according to the tertiles of first year Hb-var, and the differences of baseline clinical data among three groups were compared. Follow-up endpoints included death, transfer to hemodialysis, transfer to kidney transplantation, transfer to other centers, loss of follow-up, or on December 31, 2021. Cox regression analysis model was used to analyze the association of the first-year Hb-var with all-cause death and cardiovascular death. Fine-Gray competitive risk regression model was used to evaluate the impact of competitive events on mortality risk.Results:A total of 1 562 patients with PD were included in the study, aged (47.6±13.8) years old, with 821 males (52.6%) and baseline hemoglobin of 81 (69, 94) g/L. Hb-var in the first year of PD was 26.6 (16.7, 40.3) g/L. There were statistically significant differences in age, body mass index, serum albumin, hemoglobin, serum creatinine, serum calcium, serum phosphorus, intact parathyroid hormone and the proportion of renin-angiotensin system inhibitors among low Hb-var group (<20.0 g/L), moderate Hb-var group (20.0-35.5 g/L) and high Hb-var group (≥35.5 g/L, all P<0.05). The follow-up time was 33 (19, 51) months, and 208 patients (13.3%) died, among which 111 patients (53.4%) died of cardiovascular death. Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that the higher Hb-var in the first year, the lower the risk of all-cause death ( HR=0.98, 95% CI 0.97-0.99, P=0.018) and cardiovascular death ( HR=0.98, 95% CI 0.97-0.99, P=0.041) in PD patients. Compared with low Hb-var group, the risk of all-cause death ( HR=0.56, 95% CI 0.37-0.82, P=0.003) and cardiovascular death ( HR=0.54, 95% CI 0.31-0.95, P=0.032) was lowest in the high Hb-var group. The competitive risk regression model analysis showed that Hb-var in the first year was still negatively correlated with the risk of all-cause death ( HR=0.98, 95% CI 0.97-0.99, P=0.041) and cardiovascular death ( HR=0.98, 95% CI 0.97-0.99, P=0.039). Conclusion:High Hb-var in the first year is associated with low risk of all-cause death and cardiovascular death in PD patients with severe anemia at baseline.

Objective: To analyze the clinical epidemiological characteristics including composition of pathogens , clinical characteristics, and disease prognosis acute bacterial meningitis (ABM) in Chinese children. Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical and laboratory data of 1 610 children <15 years of age with ABM in 33 tertiary hospitals in China from January 2019 to December 2020. Patients were divided into different groups according to age,<28 days group, 28 days to <3 months group, 3 months to <1 year group, 1-<5 years of age group, 5-<15 years of age group; etiology confirmed group and clinically diagnosed group according to etiology diagnosis. Non-numeric variables were analyzed with the Chi-square test or Fisher's exact test, while non-normal distrituction numeric variables were compared with nonparametric test. Results: Among 1 610 children with ABM, 955 were male and 650 were female (5 cases were not provided with gender information), and the age of onset was 1.5 (0.5, 5.5) months. There were 588 cases age from <28 days, 462 cases age from 28 days to <3 months, 302 cases age from 3 months to <1 year of age group, 156 cases in the 1-<5 years of age and 101 cases in the 5-<15 years of age. The detection rates were 38.8% (95/245) and 31.5% (70/222) of Escherichia coli and 27.8% (68/245) and 35.1% (78/222) of Streptococcus agalactiae in infants younger than 28 days of age and 28 days to 3 months of age; the detection rates of Streptococcus pneumonia, Escherichia coli, and Streptococcus agalactiae were 34.3% (61/178), 14.0% (25/178) and 13.5% (24/178) in the 3 months of age to <1 year of age group; the dominant pathogens were Streptococcus pneumoniae and the detection rate were 67.9% (74/109) and 44.4% (16/36) in the 1-<5 years of age and 5-<15 years of age . There were 9.7% (19/195) strains of Escherichia coli producing ultra-broad-spectrum β-lactamases. The positive rates of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) culture and blood culture were 32.2% (515/1 598) and 25.0% (400/1 598), while 38.2% (126/330)and 25.3% (21/83) in CSF metagenomics next generation sequencing and Streptococcus pneumoniae antigen detection. There were 4.3% (32/790) cases of which CSF white blood cell counts were normal in etiology confirmed group. Among 1 610 children with ABM, main intracranial imaging complications were subdural effusion and (or) empyema in 349 cases (21.7%), hydrocephalus in 233 cases (14.5%), brain abscess in 178 cases (11.1%), and other cerebrovascular diseases, including encephalomalacia, cerebral infarction, and encephalatrophy, in 174 cases (10.8%). Among the 166 cases (10.3%) with unfavorable outcome, 32 cases (2.0%) died among whom 24 cases died before 1 year of age, and 37 cases (2.3%) had recurrence among whom 25 cases had recurrence within 3 weeks. The incidences of subdural effusion and (or) empyema, brain abscess and ependymitis in the etiology confirmed group were significantly higher than those in the clinically diagnosed group (26.2% (207/790) vs. 17.3% (142/820), 13.0% (103/790) vs. 9.1% (75/820), 4.6% (36/790) vs. 2.7% (22/820), χ²=18.71, 6.20, 4.07, all P<0.05), but there was no significant difference in the unfavorable outcomes, mortility, and recurrence between these 2 groups (all P>0.05). Conclusions: The onset age of ABM in children is usually within 1 year of age, especially <3 months. The common pathogens in infants <3 months of age are Escherichia coli and Streptococcus agalactiae, and the dominant pathogen in infant ≥3 months is Streptococcus pneumoniae. Subdural effusion and (or) empyema and hydrocephalus are common complications. ABM should not be excluded even if CSF white blood cell counts is within normal range. Standardized bacteriological examination should be paid more attention to increase the pathogenic detection rate. Non-culture CSF detection methods may facilitate the pathogenic diagnosis.
Adolescent ; Brain Abscess ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Escherichia coli ; Female ; Humans ; Hydrocephalus ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Meningitis, Bacterial/epidemiology* ; Retrospective Studies ; Streptococcus agalactiae ; Streptococcus pneumoniae ; Subdural Effusion ; beta-Lactamases

Since the implementation of drug registration in China, the classification of Chinese medicine has greatly met the needs of public health and effectively guided the transformation, inheritance, and innovation of research achievements on traditional Chinese medicine(TCM). In the past 30 years, the development of new Chinese medicine has followed the registration transformation model of " one prescription for single drug". This model refers to the R&D and registration system of modern drugs, and approximates to the " law-abiding" medication method in TCM clinic, while it rarely reflects the sequential therapy of syndrome differentiation and comprehensive treatment with multiple measures. In 2017, Opinions on Deepening the Reform of Review and Approval System and Encouraging the Innovation of Drugs and Medical Devices released by the General Office of the CPC Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council pointed out that it is necessary to " establish and improve the registration and technical evaluation system in line with the characteristics of Chinese medicine, and handle the relationship between the traditional advantages of Chinese medicine and the requirements of modern drug research". Therefore, based on the development law and characteristics of TCM, clinical thinking should be highlighted in the current technical requirements and registration system of research and development of Chinese medicine. Based on the current situation of registration supervision of Chinese medicine and the modern drug research in China, the present study analyzed limitations and deficiency of " one prescription for single drug" in the research and development of Chinese medicine. Additionally, a new type of " series prescriptions" was proposed, which was consistent with clinical thinking and clinical reality. This study is expected to contribute to the independent innovation and high-quality development of the TCM industry.
China ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Prescriptions ; Public Health

Objective: To construct a prediction model of pathologic complete response (pCR) in locally advanced rectal cancer patients who received programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1) antibody and total neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy by using radiomics based on MR imaging data and to investigate its predictive value. Methods: A clinical diagnostic test study was carried out. Clinicopathalogical and radiological data of 38 patients with middle-low rectal cancer who received PD-1 antibody combined with total neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy and underwent TME surgery from January 2019 to September 2021 in our hospital were retrospectively collected. Among 38 patients, 23 were males and 15 were females with a median age of 68 (47-79) years and 13 (34.2%) a chieved pCR. These 38 patients were stratified and randomly divided into the training group (n=26) and test group (n=12) for modeling. All the patients underwent rectal MRI before treatment. The clinical, imaging and radiomics features of all the patients were collected, and the clinical feature model and radiomics model were constructed. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves of each model were drawn, and the constructed model was evaluated through the area under the curve (AUC), accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value. Results: There were no significant differences in age, gender, primary location of tumor and postoperative pathology between the two groups (all P>0.05). Forty-one features were extracted from region of interest in each modality, including 9 first-order features, 24 gray level co-occurrence matrix features and 8 shape features. From 38 patients, 41 features were extracted from each imaging modality of baseline and preoperative DWI and T2WI images, totally 164 features. Only 4 features were preserved after correlation analysis between each pair of features and t-test between pCR and non-pCR subjects. After LASSO cross validation, only the first-order skewness of the baseline DWI image before treatment and the volume in the baseline T2WI image before treatment were retained. The area under the curve, sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of the prediction model established by applying these two features in the training group and the test group were 0.856 and 0.844, 77.8% and 100.0%, 88.2% and 75.0%, 77.8% and 66.7%, 88.2% and 100.0%, respectively. The decision curve analysis of the radiomics model showed that the strategy of this model in predicting pCR was better than that in treating all the patients as pCR and that in treating all the patients as non-pCR. Conclusion: The pCR prediction model for rectal cancer patients receiving PD-1 antibody combined with total neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy based on MRI radiomics has the potential to be used in clinical screening or rectal cancer patients who can be spared from radical surgery.
Aged ; Antibodies/therapeutic use* ; Female ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging/methods* ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoadjuvant Therapy/methods* ; Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor ; Rectal Neoplasms/therapy* ; Retrospective Studies

Objective:To explore the effect of different effective parts of Taohe Chengqitang on the synthesis and degradation of extracellular matrix in human kideny-2（HK-2） cells induced by transforming growth factor-β₁（TGF-β₁）. Method:Petroleum ether extract, ethyl acetate extract, n-butanol extract, raffinate and polysaccharide extract, mirabilite extract were extracted with 70% ethanol by systematic solvent method. The HK-2 cell fibrosis model induced by TGF-β₁ was built to intervene the cells in different parts of Taohe Chengqitang with different concentrations (0, 50, 100, 200, 400, 800 mg·L^-1). Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay（ELISA）kit assay was used to detect collagen（Col）-Ⅰα1 and fibronectin （FN）in supernatant to screen out the main active parts. Cell counting kit-8 （CCK-8）method was used to determine the best concentration of intervention site of bioactive components. Western blot analysis was used to detect the expression levels of Col-Ⅰ, Col-Ⅲ, matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2), matrix metalloproteinase inhibitor2 (TIMP2), and connective tissue growth factor (CTGF). Immunofluorescence assay was used to detect the expression of α-smooth muscle actin（α-SMA）. Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） analysis was used to detect the mRNA expression of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1（PAI-1）. Result:ELISA kit assay demonstrated that compared with the model group, ethyl acetate extract, n-butanol extract and chloroform extract significantly reduced the Col-Ⅰα1 and FN content at the concentrations of 200 and 400 mg·L^-1 (P<0.05, P<0.01). CCK-8 assay showed that the cells viability was significantly inhibited with drug intervention at the concentrations of 400 and 800 mg·L^-1 (P<0.01). Western blot demonstrated that compared with the model group, ethyl acetate extract, n-butanol extract and chloroform extract decreased the expression levels of Col-Ⅰ, Col-Ⅲ, TIMP2 and CTGF in HK-2 cells induced by TGF-β₁, and increased the expression of MMP-2 (P<0.05), with more significant effect in n-butanol extract (P<0.01). The results of immunofluorescence showed that ethyl acetate extract, n-butanol extract and chloroform extract could inhibit the expression of α-SMA (P<0.05), with more significant effect in n-butanol extract (P<0.01). The results of Real-time PCR showed that ethyl acetate extract and chloroform extract inhibited mRNA expression of PAI-1 (P<0.05), with more significant effect in n-butanol extract (P<0.01). Conclusion:The extracts of ethyl acetate, n-butanol and chloroform are the active parts of Taohe Chengqitang with the anti-renal fibrosis effect, with n-butanol extract as the most active part. The mechanism on anti-renal fibrosis may be related to its regulation of extracellular matrix (ECM) synthesis and degradation.